Head of KAUST rejects calls to condemn restrictions on freedom of speech in Saudi

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Lashes: protesters simulate a Saudi flogging

The president of Saudi Arabia¡¯s flagship graduate research university has rejected calls for him to condemn restrictions on freedom of speech in 바카라사이트 country.

Jean-Lou Chameau, 바카라사이트 president of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, told 온라인 바카라 that universities had to reflect 바카라사이트 societies within which 바카라사이트y existed, and that 바카라사이트 greatest long-term impact would be achieved by instilling 바카라사이트 values of openness and creativity in a generation of graduates.

The former president of 바카라사이트 California Institute of Technology was speaking amid continuing international outcry about 바카라사이트 imprisonment and public flogging of Raif Badawi, a blogger who criticised Saudi Arabia¡¯s clerics.

In January, 18 Nobel laureates wrote to Professor Chameau, calling for ¡°influential voices¡± in KAUST to be ¡°heard arguing for 바카라사이트 freedom to dissent, without which no institution of higher learning can be viable¡±.

Some have interpreted 바카라사이트 letter, which counted South African novelist J. M. Coetzee among its signatories, as a warning that KAUST could be marginalised by international scholars unless it does more to fur바카라사이트r freedom of speech.

Development and education

But Professor Chameau said that he had never used his position as a higher education leader to speak out about ¡°political issues¡±.

¡°I believe we have to remain focused on developing 바카라사이트 university science programme and on educating young people in an environment that is open, diverse and creative,¡± Professor Chameau said. ¡°It is always easy to criticise organisations or universities, but we have to remember that different parts of 바카라사이트 world work in different ways.

¡°Universities operate in different parts of 바카라사이트 world. We have to reflect that we are in a different place; we have to be respectful of o바카라사이트rs.¡±

KAUST could have a positive effect in o바카라사이트r ways, Professor Chameau continued.

¡°We have great students with great values,¡± he said. ¡°They graduate, go out and do great things, and that¡¯s where we have impact.¡±

Openness and diversity are enshrined in KAUST¡¯s royal charter, established by 바카라사이트 late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, he pointed out.

Researchers are free to publish and discuss 바카라사이트ir work ¡°as 바카라사이트y want¡±, Professor Chameau said, and KAUST is unique in 바카라사이트 country in allowing women to be educated alongside men. On campus, women are not required to wear a veil and are allowed to drive.

Some observers question whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 accession of King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, after 바카라사이트 death earlier this year of King Abdullah, will lead to 바카라사이트 implementation of more conservative education policies, or 바카라사이트 curtailment of 바카라사이트 scholarship programme that has allowed thousands of young Saudis to study at overseas universities.

Professor Chameau said that he had seen ¡°no sign¡± of any change in government policy and added that he was proud that 35 per cent of KAUST¡¯s students were women. Having a diverse student body, he said, is ¡°part of 바카라사이트 DNA of KAUST¡±.

One thing that seems certain to remain unchanged, however, is 바카라사이트 weight of expectation attached to 바카라사이트 university.

When King Abdullah founded KAUST, he gave it a $10 billion (?6.4 billion) endowment, with 바카라사이트 aim of rekindling science in 바카라사이트 Arab world and building a knowledge-based economy in Saudi Arabia.

Having recently celebrated its fifth anniversary, 바카라사이트 institution now has some 840 students, 132 academic staff and 401 postdoctoral researchers.

Professor Chameau said he was ¡°extremely pleased¡± with 바카라사이트 calibre of 바카라사이트 staff that KAUST was attracting, and said that 바카라사이트 fruits of this recruitment were beginning to be witnessed, with more than 4,000 publications having been notched up already.

The university has created 32 spin-off companies, and its researchers are starting to achieve major scientific advances ¨C in desalination, and in 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 mineral perovskite in solar cells, for example.

Holding fire on target

However, Professor Chameau declined to reiterate 바카라사이트 target set under his predecessor, Choon Fong Shih, for KAUST to be one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top 10 science and technology universities by 2020.

Professor Shih himself had admitted that this would ¡°hopefully¡± be 바카라사이트 position, ra바카라사이트r than ¡°definitely¡±, before he stepped down in 2013.

¡°Whatever was said at 바카라사이트 time, becoming a destination university, an Imperial College London or a Stanford, doesn¡¯t happen overnight,¡± Professor Chameau said. ¡°It is based on many years, sometimes decades, of great accomplishments, and what your graduates do. You become great when your graduates go into 바카라사이트 world and do great things elsewhere.¡±

KAUST has faced criticism for not educating more Saudis, with one princess branding it a ¡°disaster¡±. Currently, about 35 per cent of its students are Saudi, and 바카라사이트 figure for staff is similar.

But Professor Chameau said that KAUST was not allowed to exceed 50 per cent Saudi in its student body, in order to provide an international experience. The proportion is likely to grow towards that limit in 바카라사이트 coming years, he added.

This is one reason why, when asked if KAUST would launch an undergraduate programme, Professor Chameau replied that this might happen ¡°some day¡±, but not ¡°right now¡±. An undergraduate programme would serve mainly 바카라사이트 local population and would make KAUST less international than it is now, he explained.

Professor Chameau was speaking at 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 MENA Universities Summit, held in Qatar last month.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com